Hyatt’s In-Room TV Offers More than Movies and TV Shows

Local stations, on-demand movies and the ability to check out with the click of your remote control—these are the features of an average hotel room television. The Hyatt Hotels Corporation decided to kick things up a few notches by transforming the standard in-room television into a fully connected, interactive entertainment center and virtual concierge.

The systems have already been installed in nearly 1,800 guestrooms. Over the next two years, the high-tech televisions will be installed in up to 60,000 rooms across Hyatt’s full-service properties across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.

Once the television upgrade is completed, guests will have access to a number of new features: being welcomed with a personalized greeting and mood-setting music; the ability to browse the internet; manage and print documents; make hotel room service orders and housekeeping requests; access local directions; and make dinner reservations. Business meeting and group planners will also be able to use the televisions to send customized messages and information updates directly to the rooms of guests attending their function.

Roomlinx Inc., a leading provider of premium hotel and resort in-room media and entertainment, is providing the technology enhancements. This makes Hyatt the first major hospitality brand to integrate Roomlinx’s services across a vast number of properties.

“This is the future hotel experience at Hyatt,” Pete Sears, senior vice president of North America operations for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts stated.

Check out more on Hyatt’s in-room television transformation! And check out the list of additional technologies Hyatt has also recently launched to help enhance guest experience!

Joie de Vivre says, “Aloha!”

“Aloha” will now become a common phrase amongst the employees of Joie de Vivre (JDV) Hospitality. Commune Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of JDV and Thompson Hotels, will start managing its first Hawaii property, the Seaside Hotel, this month; and after a $3 million renovation is completed, the 125-room hotel will be rebranded and join Commune’s Joie de Vivre Collection.

Commune has hired designer, Anthony Laurino to upgrade the Waikiki property, which is located about three blocks from the Waikiki beaches and about halfway between the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Kapiolani Park. Laurino has also worked with JDV in the past, redesigning the Custom Hotel in Los Angeles and the Barlo restaurant at the Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach.

Those at JDV say it’s too early to talk about the specifics of the Seaside Hotel’s transformation, but the changes will most likely be stylistic.

“Each one of our hotels is an original — a reflection of the community where it’s located that offers fun, quirky design,” Lori Lincoln, director of public relations for JDV hotels, stated. “We create one-of-a-kind hotels that speak to their locations and engage the five senses.”

Originally owned by United Airlines, The Seaside Hotel was built in 1970 and used as a perk house for employees and company retirees.

Check out more on JDV’s Hawaii property today!

Hilton Head Island’s Holiday Inn Rebranded as a Holiday Inn Resort

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the 18th location to their ever-growing Holiday Inn Resort Americas brand—The Beach House, a Holiday Inn Resort – Hilton Head Island. The current property is a Holiday Inn hotel and will officially join the Holiday Inn Resort group in March after a $5 million renovation.

Located on the island’s popular Coligny Beach, the 202-room resort offers guests the perfect place for exploration and relaxation. The newly designed interior has incorporated Hilton Head’s renowned island culture into every detail. The property features an expanded oceanfront fitness center with new equipment, game room, remodeled restaurant, newly created oceanfront lounge, more than 4,500 square feet of meeting space and the Tiki Hut, a popular beach bar with both tourists and locals. Guestrooms now have a stylish, cool blue décor, new bedding, and updated amenities.

Those at IHG said that the rebranding is part of the strategy to bring Holiday Inn Resorts to leisure destinations that are convenient for their guests. Gina LaBarre, Vice President of Brand Management for IHG Americas, stated, “As part of the work surrounding the Holiday Inn relaunch, we identified opportunities for existing Holiday Inn hotels in resort markets to convert to the newly-created Holiday Inn Resort brand, paving the way for this renovation. This oceanfront property is in one of the most family-friendly vacation destinations in the world, making it an ideal addition to the Holiday Inn Resort portfolio.”

Find out more on The Beach House, a Holiday Inn Resort’s new renovations today!

Comfort Inn and Suites Get an Upgrade

Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites brands are known for their great room rates and comfortable rooms, but not so much for their luxurious amenities. This is sure to change within the next few years. Choice Hotels International, which franchises more than 6,100 hotels worldwide, will implement design upgrades for about 70% of their 2,000 Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites.

Those at Choice said that it had been a while since the look of the hotel chain was refreshed and rejuvenated, so the company hired Gensler, a New York based architecture and design firm, to upgrade their hotels’ bedrooms, bathrooms and public areas. With these upgrades, Choice hopes to move the Comfort brands to the upscale operations division (i.e. Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton), which has been recently favored by investors. Choice will also work with the owners of those 200 hotels not getting upgraded and help them move into their economy brands sector (i.e. Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn).

Estimated costs for the standard 75-room Comfort Inn upgrade will require a couple hundred thousand dollars, increasing room rates by $5-$10 a night. However, the company believes that it will give investing franchisees a strong return on investment.

The Comfort brand’s makeover is expected to be completed by 2015.

2012 Summer Olympics: Thousands of Hotel Rooms Made Available

Thinking about hopping the pond to witness the long-awaited 2012 Summer Olympics, but struggling to find a place to stay? Well, Olympics fans, you are in luck. Thousands of London hotel rooms have been put back on sale to the public. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) booked about 600,000 room nights for the Games, but now more than 120,000 (roughly 8,000 rooms) are no longer needed—about 20% of the hotel room nights initially reserved.

The rooms were booked under a deal in 2005 at more than 200 hotels, ranging from budget to five-star accommodations. As part of the proposition for London to host the 2012 Summer Games, LOCOG agreed to provide more than 40,000 rooms for world media, International Sports Federations, the International Olympic Committee, sponsors and those working at the Games over the two-week period. LOCOG also agreed to return any of the unwanted rooms so that the hotels were able to sell them in time for summer 2012.

Tourism officials say that the hotel availability is a “timely boost,” and is great news for those wishing to visit London and experience the Olympic Games. Officials also believe that this will enhance the UK’s image as a destination vacation and help create a tourism legacy for the future.